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Hmmm... A lot of it not particularly well-informed. I don't think outcrossing to Charlies would get us very far!

Kate, Oliver and Aled

I agree Kate and that is something I have feared and see on other things besides this blog. I would love to leave a comment on the blog to answer about breeding back to king Charles. Really? We want flatter faces and not longer noses? I must have read that wrong.

Everyone condemns the cavalier breed...did we do this to ourselves? Meaning did breeders try and ignore health issues too long, too focused on the next big winner?

There are breeders that are producing healthy long lived cavaliers. Puppy buyers should support those breeders. I just think it is sad that everyone believes there isn't any way forward for the breed as it is. Opening up the registry might be helpful if it was done right but I think too many that didn't know how would jump on the bandwagon, trying to fix but only making it worse. I am still hoping research might provide an answer before it is too late.

There are breeders that are producing healthy long lived cavaliers. Puppy buyers should support those breeders.

Agree 100%!

And also will say again what many researchers say: IF breeders do test and use the recommended protocols it should be possible to breed away and greatly lower the incidence and seriousness of both MVD and SM. The problem is that so few do and so few share results leaving many breeders who want to do more, isolated and unable to find tested sires in particular. There IS funding to MRI males 5 and older -- no reason that any breeder should plead cost as a reason not to scan for these important older, clear dogs.

I agree too that opening the registry is something to be done cautiously and carefully but there is already a history of doing some of these things in other breeds in the KC for example to bring new blood in and bring those dogs eventually into full registration so it isn;t unknown territory. I do think there are likely a lot of dogs out there that are less extreme in skull and short muzzle that could be a great starting point.

The breed is in a very bad place though in between high rate of MVD and a serious issue like SM, neither having any cure and both apparently polygenetic and so difficult to test for or address in a simple way.